Excavator



(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Shet 1.

A. MoDONALD.

EXGAVATOR.

No. 547,672. Patented Oct. 8, 1895.

. WITNESSES: 'INVENTOI? ATTORNEYS.

7 Sheets-Sheet s a (No Model.) 7

- A. MoDONALD.

' EXGAVATOR No. 547,672. Patented Oct. 8, 1895.

INVENTOH A TTOHNE Y8.

(No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 4.

A. MoDONALD. EXUA VATOR.

No. 547,6'7Z.- Patented 001;. 8,1895.

IN VE N 70/? ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) v .7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

. A. MoDONALD.

EXGAVATOR No. 547,672. Patented Opt. 8, 1895.

8 v, F. N m H n W/TNESSES.'-

UNITED STATES ALEXANDER MCDONALD, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSAOHUSETTS.

EXCAVATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,672, dated October 8, 1895.

Application filed March 18, 1895 Serial No- 542314. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

3e it known that l, ALEXANDERMGD ONALD, of Oambridge,in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new 5 and Improved Excavator, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved excavator and dredger designed forinaking tunnels, canals, ditches,

[O the, in a very simple manner and at a comparatively small expenditure of power.

The invention consists of-certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter and then pointi 5 edout in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

21; Figure 1 is a plan view of theimprovement as arranged for excavating and dredging.-

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3 Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the same at the beginning of the-work.

2 5 Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation of part 'of r the improvement, showing the picks at work. "Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of the revoluble picks. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of the same. Fig. 7 is an enlarged 30 side elevationof the driving mechanism, the

section being taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a rear end elevation of the same with the carrier omitted.- Fig.9 is a side elevation of the improvement arranged for tunneling,

5 and Fig. 10 is an-enlarged plan view of the.

same; The improved excavator is provided with a, suitable wheeled carriage A, on the rear end of which are erected the guideways B, in which is fitted to slide vertically the slide 0, adapted to befastened on the guideways after being vertically'adjusted to the desired position, as hereinafter more fully described. 0n the lower end of the slide O are arranged hinges C, (see Fig. 2,) connected with a frame D, mounted to swing up and down between the sides of the carriage A, as will be readily understood by reference to Figs. 2 and 4t. This swinging frame D supports revoluble 5o picksE and an endless carrier F of the bucketand-chain kind and arranged in the rear or rier F at the time the frame D is swung upward.

In order td'raise and lower the frame D, I connect the free end of the frame with a rope or a chain G, extending upwardly and connected with a hoisting device G, of any approved construction, located on the front end of the carriage A and adapted to be driven from an engine H, likewise supported on the carriage, together with the boiler for furnishing the necessary motive agent to actuate the engine H.

The revoluble picks E are preferably made in sets, as illustrated in the drawings, with particular reference to Figs. 5 and 6, the said picks being provided with two parallel shafts On the shafts E E are further set any desired number of horizontal picks E E respectively,

held suitable distances apart by intervening washers E and withthe picks E of the shafts E alternating with the picks Ei- The sucneeding picks on the shafts are set at right angles to each other, as illustrated in Fig.6, whereby the shafts E E can-be placed very close to one another without the picks of the two shafts interfering one with the other.

On'the inner ends'of the shafts-lil tl l are secured gear-wheels E F. in mesh with one another,-so'-that when one shaft is rotated the other shaft rotates in u'nisonwith it. On the inner endi'of the shaft E (see Fig. 2) is socured a "bevel gear-wheel -11- in. mesh with a bevel gear-wheell, secured ouatransversely ,extending shaft 1 journaled in suitable bear- "ings on the slide O-in line with the pintles .of the hinges C. On this shaft 1 is secured :a large gear-wheel 1 in, mesh with a pinion l fastened on a-driving-shaft l journaled in suitable bearings on the slide- 0 and carrying a pulley 1 connected by a belt I? with a pulley H on the driving-shaftof the enitoo girge 1i. Thus when the engine II is set in motion a rotary motion is imparted to the shaft 1" by the pulleys H 1 and belt and the Y rotary motion-of this shaft 1 is imparted by the pinion I" and gear-wheel l to the shaft 1 which in turn by the bevel gear-wheels I and I rotates the pick-shaft E, and as the latter is connected by the gear-wheels E and E with the other pick-shaft E the picks on the said shafts are rotated in unison.

1 The carrier F is provided with a sprocketohain l and buckets F secured thereon, the said chain passing over the sprocket-wheels l ,journaled in the front end of the frame and over the sprocket-wheels F", secured on a shaft F mounted to turn in suitable bearings at the rear or upper end of the frame D. On this shaft I is secured a gear-wheel F connected by an intermediate gear-w heel F with a gear-wheel I, attached to the driving-shaft liso that the latter when rotated, as previously described, impartsa rotary motion by the gear- "wheels 1 F and F to the shaft F whereby the sprocket-chains F are set in motion, and the buckets filled by the picks E carry the material to the rear end of the machine to finally discharge the material into a wagon, chute, or other suitable device.

In order to bring the picks E and the front end of the carriage F to the proper depth in the ditch to be made, it is necessary to vertically adjust the slide 0, and for this purpose I provide the latter, at its front face, with racks (J in mesh with pinions J, secured on a transversely-extending shaft J, turning in suitable bearings on the guideways B. One outer end of the shaftJ is provided with a gear-wheel J in mesh with a pinion J secured on a shaft .1, mounted to turn in suitable hearings in one of the guidewaysB and adapted to carry a crank-arm J to permit the operator to turn the said shaft and pinions to impart a rotary motion to the gear-wheel J and shaft J, so that the pinions in mesh with the racks C cause the slide 0 to move down or up in the guideways 13, according to the direction in which the crank-arm J is turned. If desired, the crank-arm J maybe applied directly on the outer square end J of the shaft J.

In orde'rto secure the slide 0 in place after it is adjusted vertically in the guideways, I provide screws K, screwing in the-transverse bat-B, connecting the upper ends of the guideways 1; with each other.

In order to steady the frame D while the latter swings up or down, I provide a rope or chain L, winding on the shaft G of the hoisting-device G in an opposite direction to the winding of the rope or chain G. (See Fig. 1.)

This rope L extends from the shaft G2 over a sheave L, hung on a post D, projecting at an: angle from the frame D, as is plainly shown in the drawings, and the rope L after leaving the sheave L extends downward and conmeets with an eye or other device attached to I the carriage A. The shaft G of the hoisting device G is connected by a gear-wheel G with a pinion G attached to the driving-shaft G having forward and reversing pulleys G, connected by bolts G with forward and reversing pulleys 11 on the driving-shaft of the engine ll. A suitable shifting-fork t serves to manipulate the belts G s o as to cause a forward or reversing motion-of the said shafts G5 and G When the machine commences to work, the

frame D stands in a-vertical position, as illus:

trated in Fig. 3, it being understood that the frame D has been fed downward the desired distance by the operator turning the crankarm J to impart a downward-sliding motion to the slide 0, as previously described, and after the adjustment has been made the slide 0 is fastened in place by the screws K. The operator now starts the engine II and connects the engine with the hoisting device G by the shifting-lever G whereby the picks E are rotated, and a traveling motion is imparted to'the carrier and an upwardswinging motion is given to the frame D. Thus the picks E cut into the ground, loosen the same, and permit the loosened ground to discharge directlyinto the buckets of thdincrrier F, the material readily passing by its own gravity into the said buckets to be carried off by the latter to a place of discharge at the top rear end of the frame D. The carriage A may be moved forward at the same time to cause the revoluble picks to enter the ground to the full depth of the picks, so that a large amountof material is out and removed during one upward-swinging motion of the frame D.

Thus it will be seen that byarrangement described a segmental cut s made in the ground from a vertical to "an approximately horizontal position assumed by the frame D. After the cut is made the hoisting device G is reversed by shifting the fork G correspondingly, so that the ropes G and L lower the frame D until the lat r assumes again a vertical position. The carriage A is then again moved forward and a new cut is made in the manner above described.

As illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, the 111i. whine is arranged for tunneling purposes, and in this case I provide the frame D with two sets N N of revoluble picks and endless carriers, both sets being, however, alike in construction and similar to the one described above, the only difierence being that the shafts and carriers extend obliquely, as plainly indicated in Fig. 10. The frame D is hinged upon a wheeled frame 0, mounted to travel transversely on a carriage P, adapted to be moved forward on suitable rails P, which are laid in the tunnel as the work progresses. A chute R serves tocarry the materialdischarged by the buckets of the two sets N N of picks and carriers upon an endless carrier S, extending upwardly, so that the material removed in the tunnel by the two sets of picks and carriers IOU is discharged upon cars traveling on the rails P and serving to carry the material to a place outside of the tunnel. a

for making ditches, canals, tunnels, &c.,and, if desired, it may be used r01- boring holes in the ground, and in this case it is necessary to swing the frame back of the perpendicular when lowering the slide 0, so that the picks will loosen the earthbefore the buckets come in contact with it. It is necessary to keep the picks and buckets goin glall of the time coming back from the horizontal to the vertical'position. The buckets take up all of the loose earth that is spilled over when the buckets are coming up, so that each cut is cleaned up before a new one iscommenced.

Instead of imparting a swinging motion to the frame D by the; ropes and hoisting-gear, as described in reference to Fig. 1, 2, and 3, gearing is employed and provided with a gearwheel T, held loosely on the front shaft 1 but attached to an arm D on the frame D, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10. A pinion T is in mesh with the gear-wheel T and is secured on a shaft T j ournaled in the frame 0 and carrying a pulley. T connected by a belt T with a pulley T ,adapted to be turned either by hand or power, as desired,,to impart an up and-down swinging motion to the frame D. By having two sets of revoluble picks and carriers, as described, and moving the same transversely after a cut is made the entire width of the tunnel is excavated, and by setting the sets of picks and carriers obliquely, as described and shown, the machinery does not come in" contact with the sides'of the tunnel.

It is expressly understood that by my method of-excavating the material is undermined by the picks, and consequently the loosened material falls by its own gravity into the buckets of the carrier. It is further understood that the frame D can be swung above a horizontal line, so that material can be removed at any desired height.

Having thus fully described my invention,

. I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An excavator, provided with one or more revoluble picks on parallel shafts mounted on a supporting frame for cuttiing'and loosenin the material, and an endless carrier into which the material as it is loosened by the picks falls, by. its own gravity,to be carried off and discharged, substantially as shown and described.

2. An excavator having in combination with a swinging supporting frame, a set of revoluble picks comprising two shafts, the

said shafts being arranged in a plane paral lel to a chord of an arc of the circle in which the shafts swing, and geared together to rotate in unison, and pickssecured to said shafts, substantially as shown and described.

It. will be seen that the machine can be used ed on the said frame under the said picks, to

3. An excavator, provided with a set of row oluble picks comprising two shafts geared together and mounted on a swinging frame to rotate in unison in opposite directions, and picks secured on .the said shafts, the picks on one shaft being arranged alternately and at angles with the picks on the other shaft, substantially as shown and described.

.4. An excavator, comprising a vertically movable slide frame a frame mounted on said slide frame to swing above and below its pivotal point, revolu ble picks mounted to turn on the said frame, and an endless carrier mountintercept and receive the material loosened by the said picks,substantial ly as shown and described. I I

5. An excavator, com prising-a carriage having vertical guideways, a slide held adjustable in the said guideways, a frame hinged on the said slide, picks mounted to turn on the said frame, and an endless carrier mounted on the said frame underneath the said picks, to intercept and receive the material loosened by the said picks, substantially as shown and described.

1 6. An excavator, comprisingacarriage having vertical guideways, a sl de adj ustable in said guideways, a frame mounted to swing, revoluble picks'mounted to turn on the said 5 frame, an endless carrier mounted on the'said frame under the said picks, to intercept and rcceive the material loosened by the said picks, and means, substantially as described, for imparting an up and down swinging motion, to the saidframe, as set forth.

17. An excavator, comprising a vertically adj ustable slide frame a frame mounted to swing on said slide frame, revoluble under cutting picks mounted to turn on the.- said J05 frame, an endless carrierimounted on the said frame under the plane of said picks, tofintercept and receive the material loosened by the. said picks, and means, substantially as de-v scribed, for imparting a simultaneous rotary IIO motion to the said picks, and a traveling motion to the said carrier, as set forth,

8. An excavator, comprising a carriage hav ing vertical guideways, a slide held" adjustable in the said guideways, a frame hinged on the said slide, 'revoluble picks mq-unt'ed on the said frame, an endless carrier mounted on the said frame underneath the said picks,to intercept and receive the material loosened by the said picks, and means, substantially [20 as described, for raising or lowering the said slide in its bearings, as set forth.

9. An excavator, comprising two carriages, one of which is mounted to travel transversely in the other, a frame hinged on the transverse x 2 5 moving carriage, two sets-of revoluble picks picks, substantially as shown and described. "r 0 10. An excavatoxgcomprislingtwooarriages, and means for imparting a simultaneous 1110-" oneof whichis mounted totravel transversely tion to the frame, picks and carriers, as set in the other,& frame'hinged on the transverse forth.

moving carriage, two sets of revoluble picks ALEXANDER MCDONALD. v 5 mounted on the said frame and projecting Witnesses:

obliquely beyond the sides of the frame, an FRANK R. MCDONALD,

en Gloss carrier for each set of revoluble picks, JAMES A. PIERCE. 

